That night, Zhuo Yixuan couldn't sleep, despite all the effort Zhu Yan had put into making his room the most comfortable place he could have ever wished for. The reason was very simple, his little brother was probably being closely watched by Zhu Yan, and although he had promised not to interfere as long as Yichen consent it, he was still worried about him. Normally, he was the one who was near Yichen when he had a nightmare, watching over him, easing his pain, and calming him down, but now he had allowed a stranger, a great demon of all people, to take his place, not knowing if Zhu Yan would know how to handle an impulsive young man while he screamed at the top of his lungs in pain.
Yes, he knew Zhu Yan was far more powerful than anyone present, but what worried him wasn't that Zhu Yan couldn't physically deal or heal his little brother, but rather the after effects of the nightmares in where Yichen's felt weak and vulnerable. So for most of the night, he paced around his room with the balcony door wide open, so that he could hear Yichen shouting if he had, indeed, a nightmare, but he hear nothing at all, until he felt a strange presence coming from that part of the mansion.
Yixuan was sure that it wasn't because of the presence of another demon, because he sensed no demonic energy, no evil intent and nothing that portended danger. What he sensed was something more powerful than even Zhu Yan, and it belonged to the divine side... a godly presence of a sort, if he had to guess, which was unlikely, since no god had visited their realm since they left after the war against the demons.
However, the presence nearby his brother's unsettled him, for, evil or not, it was powerful and Yichen was not alone. What if it was after Zhu Yan? What if his brother could be injured for getting in the way? He asked himself over and over again, and just as he decided to leave his room to take a look at Yichen's, on the second floor, a torrential rain began to fall out of nowhere, cold and steady, with a hint of sadness, as if the sky were crying for something it sensed was related to what was happening in Yichen's room. Yixuan hurried out, but found someone unexpectedly close, but not close enough to overhear a conversation in the middle of the hallway.
"Wen Xiao..." Yixuan whispered as he approached her.
"Ah, Zhuo Yixuan, I see you feel it too. To be honest, we all feel it, at least in our unit, but we decided not to interfere, since our Commander said Xiao Zhuo was fine and that there was something between them beyond our understanding and reach. Right now... he's crying... and I can feel his pain, a grief so deep that even the rain was summoned. To be honest, even I feel like crying..." She said, and Yixuan looked toward his brother's door.
"Do you mean it's Zhu Yan who's crying?" He asked, and she nodded.
"Yes. Pei Sijing had extraordinary hearing, but I have a great talent for empathy, and if someone's feelings get out of hand or too strong, I can sense them, sometimes, I even feel them as my own... I feel an overwhelming sadness coming from the great demon, and I can feel Yichen trying to comfort him, so please let's not disturb him. I promise Xiao Zhuo is fine and I feel that whatever is happening in that room is important to him, it is his destiny."
"You are truly a group of talented young men and women. Your words soothe my heart, thank you. I fear my brother was dealing with something much bigger than he can handle and worry too much."
"You're a good brother, but things are changing faster than we can process them. The Baize goddesses had the ability to see through illusions, lies, evil, hatred, and love... and well... what I see there, even if the great demon had put up a barrier over the room, is heartbreaking. I'm sure your little brother can handle it. Like you, he had a soft heart, after all. Don't worry, now I'm more certain than ever that Zhu Yan will never hurt Xiao Zhuo... he cares for him too much."
"And I agree that the great demons don't want to harm my brother or the rest of us, but there is much uncertainty in our future, and be careful under such circumstances, it's never too much."
"Of course. Now, I take my leave. There's nothing to worry about. Zhu Yan is more than just a great demon, and before the godly presence reached this mansion, I had a dream about the Baize goddess, Wan'er. In the dream, she assured me that Zhu Yan was not evil and that his offer was sincere. She assured me that we should accept his guidance, follow his lead, and help him defeat whatever would pose a greater threat to us. Since the gods hold him in such high regard, to the point that they even manifest from the other side, it's no longer surprising that another god would come here. Xiao Zhuo will never be in danger around him." Wen Xiao said, and Yixuan smiled sweetly at her.
"Indeed, you can sense what the others feel. I'm glad my brother had such good comrades in his unit."
"Ever since our unit was formed, it felt special to me. We bond and care for each other sincerely. Just a moment ago, Ying Lei had to restrain Bai Jiu from entering Xiao Zhuo's room, because the young healer was so worry about his here, and Ying Lei even had to drag him into his own to ensure he didn't do anything foolish. Interrupting a god is never polite or wise. If we must know, Xiao Zhuo will tell us personally. I just stayed here to wait for you."
"Oh? What for?"
"In the dream, Wan'er gave me a message for you. She said that a great calamity could befall humanity, something that was left unfinished in the last war, and that only with the collaboration of humans and demons can it be overcome. For that to happen, our paths will diverge; one task for us to deal with and another for your unit, and because of that, another great demon could come to our realm, or rather, permanently stay instead of coming every few hundred years. This demon heart had begun to waver due to his old friendship with Zhu Yan, but he still needs to be a little..." Wen Xiao suddenly stopped her speech, blushing slightly, making Yixuan more curious.
"A little, what?" Yixuan pressed gently.
"Hmm... well... tamed..." She said with a hint of mischievousness and Yixuan chuckled.
"Tamed? By whom? Me?" He asked with some amusement.
"More or less, yes. She said that only you can change his mind, that not even Zhu Yan can persuade him like you can. Just be careful... Surely you know which great demon she's referring to, right?"
"Of course. The one who just fought and lost to Zhu Yan just a while ago."
"Hmm. He's a little sore for that defeat... but she said that you'll understand his heart better than anyone else... that's your gift... that he is not immune to your calming aura."
"I see. Thanks for letting me know this in advance. Did she give you that demon's name?"
"Li Lun. A pagoda tree demon, as old as Zhu Yan, best friends before the war with the gods."
"All right. Go back to your room and rest. As you said, everything is moving faster than we can understand, but at least we know that humanity still has the gods on their side, which is a relief, really..."
"That's right. Good night, Zhuo Yixuan. We have your brother and Zhu Yan under our care, you don't have to worry about them. As for the great demon who's coming, we're counting on you to look after him... he's not exactly a human lover yet, and to be honest, we're all a little afraid of him..."
"If the gods think I can handle him, don't worry. I will deal with him diligently, as foreseen. Good night, Wen Xiao." He said, turning his back on her and heading down the stairs back to his room.
"Li Lun..." He whispered the name as he lay down on the bed to rest. The name didn't felt familiar, but there was something about it...
"Fate..." Yixuan spoke the word, closing his eyes for the first time that night and finally falling asleep.
Inside Zhuo Yichen's room, still on the bed, Yichen kept his hold on Zhu Yan even after they changed positions so that they could lie on the bed side by side, as Yichen still felt sore and weak and Zhu Yan's weight was a little heavy after he had held him back for a while when he was crying. Right now, he was no longer shedding tears, but Yichen could still feel his great sadness, so he let him stay there with him, feeling that he should not be alone when he was in such a state.
"Zhu Yan..." Yichen whispered as he brushed a stray strand of hair away from his face. In all their struggles, they were both disheveled, but he could see that Zhu Yan's beauty was still dazzling, even after all that crying, and a part of him felt the urge to admire it, to touch that soft skin still slightly damp from tears. His heart had beaten fast at having him pressed close to him, his own tears mingling with his, unable to contain his sadness at seeing a great demon cry so heartily for a god who was like a father, for an ancestor who had blessed his Zhuo family with his power and trust by which they felt honored.
Although they had seen Zhu Yan as a great threat to humanity for centuries, he couldn't find fault with him even if his life depended on it. The demon was mischievous, yes, but also kind, so he no longer saw demons the same way, not after seeing him completely fall apart, opening his heart to a stranger that could have easily stab him when lowering his ward so openly, and allowing them to come close when they all represented the destructive force humanity had, forced to hunt and kill his kind.
They had never given demons a chance, they had only hunted them down on sight, but if demons who could attain human form could be reasoned with, maybe they could find a way to coexist with them, maybe not all the demons in that forest were ferocious beasts, and maybe Zhu Yan could help them understand the heart of demons a little better. Maybe he could understand Zhu Yan's own heart better, because he was not a beast, he was actually more human than many heartless men committing crimes in their cities.
"Zhu Yan... are you asleep?" Yichen whispered again, and this time he gently caressed the demon's cheek, completely wiping away the wet remnants of his tears. To his surprise, Zhu Yan gently took his hand and kissed his open palm. The sensation made Yichen shudder with something he couldn't quite place.
"Are you okay now?" Yichen asked, unwilling to let go of Zhu Yan's hand, even though he could.
"Yes... thank you... it means a lot to me that you hold me like this when I was staving for it..." He said, still with his eyes closed.
"I know that pain... but if Bing Yi is still alive, perhaps there's a chance you will meet again." Yichen did his best to comfort him.
"Do you remember the nightmare then?"
"Hmm, no... but as a great demon, I'm sure you have your ways of discovering what I can't. You said before that you could share your memories with me, so how about I share them with you? Will you be able to see what I don't remember?"
"That depends. Since it was induced by Bing Yi's possession and he's a god, if he erases them, no matter how hard I try, I'll never find out."
"But Bing Yi cares about you... he must care about you a lot if he's been trying to contact you for so long. I've had those nightmares since I was a child, so his search for you was desperate, to say the least. He must have wanted you to find him, it's just that the ways of the gods are always mysterious..." At those words, Zhu Yan smiled gently, pulling Yichen towards him.
"You're so kind, so caring... Really, I don't mind falling for a human beauty with a heart of gold."
"What nonsense are you spouting now? Don't get me wrong, I don't like you being sad or hurt like this, but that doesn't mean I'll let you do whatever you want with me. I know better than to fall for a great demon." Yichen's stubbornness resurfaced, and Zhu Yan sighed. He was getting so much closer to him.
"Why? I assure you, I'm not the evil beast you think I am."
"I never said you were an evil beast, but you're still a demon, while I'm just a human with traces of divine blood. Do you think that matches?"
"It matched Bing Yi and my father, who are somewhat the same as us."
"Bing Yi is a full god, just like Ying Long, while I am still human, a human who will die in the blink of an eye in your eternal demonic life." At that, Zhu Yan held his breath for a moment, for there was some truth to what he said. However, he once again used his Truth Eye on the young man, so that Yichen could see the same thing he did.
"Look closer at our hands, Xiao Zhuo... I use my Truth Eye on you, so you should be able to see it now, right?" Zhu Yan asked as Yichen stared wide-eyed at the golden-red thread tied to his finger at one end and Zhu Yan's at the other.
"String of Fate..."
"That's right... our paths were destined to cross even before you were born as Zhuo Yichen. You're a human right now, but that doesn't mean you'll remain one until you die. When fates intertwine and when gods are involved, nothing is impossible between one thing and another. You can fight it if you want, but in the end, it will still lead you to where you were meant to be."
"Well, I won't fall for that..."
"You're so stubborn. I've been alone for so long, don't you feel sorry for me?"
"That's not my fault."
"Of course it is. I've been waiting for you for centuries."
"You didn't even know I existed until recently."
"Xiao Zhuo, didn't you just see our string of fate?"
"You are a great demon, you can easily trick my eyes with a spell."
"Oh, please... fine, let's have it your way then. I'd love to see you fall in love with me anyway, and then... maybe I'll be the one who rejects you."
"I won't fall in love with you, so that's fine with me."
"Xiao Zhuo... the gods have gift me with something difficult to crack."
"I'm not your gift, nor a chestnut that can be broken. I feel sorry for you, though, so I'll let this nonsense slip for now. Go to sleep already, I'm so tired..."
"Demons don't need sleep, you know?"
"But that doesn't mean you can't, does it?"
"Will that make you feel better?"
"It'll reassure me that you can rest, even for a little while. The rain... it fell because you were sad, now let it fall to lull you instead."
"That sounds romantic, Xiao Zhuo..."
"You! Never mind..." Yichen moved away to his side, so his back was to Zhu Yan and soon he felt the great demon's arms embrace him once more, making himself comfortable as he held him, with Zhu Yan's breath very close to his neck.
"Alright... I don't mind falling asleep holding you like this, and if you want a relaxing rain shower, you can have it... sweet dreams, Xiao Zhuo, you will have no more nightmares." Zhu Yan said, and before Yichen could protest, another wave of rain fell, but this time, the gentle sound it brought lulled him to sleep, and he soon returned to the dream world along with a great demon.
AN: Sorry guys, this is so much fun, so no get them together that easily yet. Hope you like this little treat as well as Yixuan warning about Li Lun's incoming. Lol. Thanks for reading, until next time, please take care.